Loading...
Publication
The extraordinary adventure tourism experience : idealizing supreme excellence
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.51 MB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Abstract(s)
O turismo de aventura é uma das grandes tendências atualmente (ATTA – Adventure Travel Travel Association, 2018a), através da qual turistas procuram escapar à vida quotidiana (Beames, et al., 2019). Este segmento tem crescido a taxas superiores ao mercado global do turismo (ATTA, 2013; 2018a), criando novos desafios às empresas. O mercado tem-se alterado rapidamente, trazendo novos perfis de turistas e um grande aumento da concorrência (Cloutier, 2003; Buckley, 2010a). A competitividade, mas também a tecnologia, a procura por viagens transformadoras (ATTA, 2018a), e a dificuldade em fornecer experiências a turistas com expetativas irrealistas (Lindberg & Østergaard, 2015; Lindberg & Eide, 2016) têm evidenciado a necessidade de desenvolver novos produtos e modelos de negócio. A natureza liminar e escapista das experiências extraordinárias de aventura (Arnould & Price, 1993), bem como o intenso significado pessoal que delas advém (Pomfret, 2012) parecem apropriadas para responder àquelas exigências do mercado. Contudo, o lado comercial do turismo de aventura tem sido pouco investigado (Buckley, 2006a; Cheng, et al., 2018). O presente estudo visou a verificação da existência de diferenças entre as idealizações, motivações, e preferências dos turistas de aventura, e as perceções que os profissionais de turismo de aventura têm desses fatores. Questionários aplicados a turistas e a profissionais de turismo permitiram a recolha de dados quantitativos e a aplicação de métodos estatísticos, enquanto entrevistas a profissionais do setor, bem como a observação direta e a participação em experiências de aventura originaram dados qualitativos. Como conclusão geral, é possível referir que os profissionais de turismo necessitam compreender melhor os seus clientes, mas nota-se, também, que os turistas têm expetativas irrealistas que afetam as suas experiências e como os produtos estão a ser estruturados. Porém, parece consensual que o desejo de escape dos turistas favorece a transição para um mundo liminar de aventura, onde um diferente contacto com a natureza, experiências de pico, e emoções contrastantes criam momentos de elação e grande satisfação. Utilizando a Economia da Experiência (Pine & Gilmore, 1999), e considerando a variáveis de mercantilização de Cloke e Perkins (2002), empresas de animação turística podem ter ferramentas para orquestrar experiências que perdurem na memória dos seus clientes, enquanto mantêm eficiência, segurança, e grande satisfação.
ABSTRACT: Adventure is one of the greatest trends in tourism today (ATTA - Adventure Travel Trade Association, 2018a), through which tourists seek to escape ordinary living (Beames, et al., 2019). It has been growing at higher rates than the general tourism market (ATTA, 2013; 2018a), comprising new challenges to adventure providers. The market has been changing very fast, bringing new tourists’ profiles and increases in the competition (Cloutier, 2003; Buckley, 2010a). Competitiveness, but also technology, the search for transformative travel (ATTA, 2018a), and the difficulty in providing experiences to tourists with unrealistic expectations (Lindberg & Østergaard, 2015; Lindberg & Eide, 2016) have highlighted the need to develop new products and business models. The liminal and escapist nature of extraordinary adventure experiences (Arnould & Price, 1993), as well as the intense personal meaning derived from them (Pomfret, 2012), seem appropriate for addressing those market demands. However, the business side of adventure tourism has received little research attention (Buckley, 2006a; Cheng, et al., 2018). The present study has been developed with the aim to investigate differences between adventure tourists’ idealizations, motivations, and preferences, and the perceptions of adventure providers regarding those features. Questionnaires for tourists and tourism professionals allowed the collection of quantitative data and the application of statistical methods. Qualitative data was collected through interviewing adventure tourism professionals, as well as through direct observation and participation in adventure experiences. As a general conclusion, it can be remarked that tourism professionals need to have a better understanding of their clients motivations, but it also seems that tourists have unrealistic expectations that can affect how their experiences unfold and how products are being structured. Still, it seems clear that both sides agree that tourists’ desire to escape enables a transition into a liminal world of adventure, where a different contact with nature, peak experiences, and contrasting emotions create moments of elation and deep satisfaction. Using the Experience Economy (Pine & Gilmore, 1999) framework, and considering Cloke and Perkins’ (2002) commodification variables, adventure providers might have the tools to orchestrate experiences that will endure in the memory of their customers, while keeping efficiency, safety, and high satisfaction.
ABSTRACT: Adventure is one of the greatest trends in tourism today (ATTA - Adventure Travel Trade Association, 2018a), through which tourists seek to escape ordinary living (Beames, et al., 2019). It has been growing at higher rates than the general tourism market (ATTA, 2013; 2018a), comprising new challenges to adventure providers. The market has been changing very fast, bringing new tourists’ profiles and increases in the competition (Cloutier, 2003; Buckley, 2010a). Competitiveness, but also technology, the search for transformative travel (ATTA, 2018a), and the difficulty in providing experiences to tourists with unrealistic expectations (Lindberg & Østergaard, 2015; Lindberg & Eide, 2016) have highlighted the need to develop new products and business models. The liminal and escapist nature of extraordinary adventure experiences (Arnould & Price, 1993), as well as the intense personal meaning derived from them (Pomfret, 2012), seem appropriate for addressing those market demands. However, the business side of adventure tourism has received little research attention (Buckley, 2006a; Cheng, et al., 2018). The present study has been developed with the aim to investigate differences between adventure tourists’ idealizations, motivations, and preferences, and the perceptions of adventure providers regarding those features. Questionnaires for tourists and tourism professionals allowed the collection of quantitative data and the application of statistical methods. Qualitative data was collected through interviewing adventure tourism professionals, as well as through direct observation and participation in adventure experiences. As a general conclusion, it can be remarked that tourism professionals need to have a better understanding of their clients motivations, but it also seems that tourists have unrealistic expectations that can affect how their experiences unfold and how products are being structured. Still, it seems clear that both sides agree that tourists’ desire to escape enables a transition into a liminal world of adventure, where a different contact with nature, peak experiences, and contrasting emotions create moments of elation and deep satisfaction. Using the Experience Economy (Pine & Gilmore, 1999) framework, and considering Cloke and Perkins’ (2002) commodification variables, adventure providers might have the tools to orchestrate experiences that will endure in the memory of their customers, while keeping efficiency, safety, and high satisfaction.
Description
Tese de Doutoramento, Ciências Económicas Empresariais, 9 de novembro de 2020.
Keywords
Economia da Experiência Marketing Turístico Turismo de Aventura Adventure Tourism Experience Economy Extraordinary Experiences
Citation
Ponte, João Crispim. "The extraordinary adventure tourism experience: idealizing supreme excellence". 2020. XII, 271 p.. (Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Económicas Empresariais). Ponta Delgada: Universidade dos Açores, 2019. [Consult. Dia Mês Ano]. Disponível em www:<http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/5873>.